According to Eurostat figures for 2023 released today, 94.6 million people in the EU (21.4% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, meaning they faced at least one of three risks: poverty, severe material and social deprivation, living in a household with very low work intensity.

The figure decreased slightly compared to 2022 (95.3 million, 22% of the population).

At national level, the highest percentages of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Romania (32%), Bulgaria (30%), Spain (26.5%) and Greece (26.1%).

At regional level, the highest rates of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in the overseas regions of France, southern Italy and rural areas of Romania.

In 2023, people living in the capitals of some EU countries were generally less likely to be at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This difference was most pronounced in Romania, where the national rate was 32%, compared to just 12.3% in Bucharest.

Similarly, in Poland, the national rate was 16.3%, while in the Warsaw region it was only 8.9%. In Croatia, the national index was 20.7%, while in Zagreb it was 11.9%.

The opposite trend was observed in Belgium and Austria, where the proportion of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the Brussels (37.6%) and Vienna (29.5%) regions was significantly higher than the national averages 18 .6% and 17.7%, respectively.

In Greece, the highest percentages of people facing the risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in 2023 in Peloponnese (35.7%), Western Greece (35.2%), Western Macedonia (32.7%) ), in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (31.9%) and in the Northern Aegean (30.4%). In Attica, the corresponding percentage was 22.7%.